Commissioners to consider winery marketing

Tuesday

Jul 16, 2013 at 12:01 AMJul 16, 2013 at 8:44 AM

STOCKTON - County planning commissioners Thursday are expected to take up the controversial topic of temporarily halting the addition of new, so-called "marketing events" at wineries in rural San Joaquin County.

Zachary K. Johnson

STOCKTON - County planning commissioners Thursday are expected to take up the controversial topic of temporarily halting the addition of new, so-called "marketing events" at wineries in rural San Joaquin County.

There's no specific new proposal to halt the addition of new events at county wineries that has been released, and county officials said there would be an outreach effort followed by public hearings before any such moratorium would be put in place.

But officials will be talking about it.

And the word "moratorium" is on the agenda for discussion at the Thursday night meeting of the county Planning Commission. At the same meeting, the commission will consider approving new or changed permits that would add to the number or size of marketing events at three wineries in the county.

"We've had a number of winery applications ... since I've been on the commission," said Commissioner Christopher Kontos, who was appointed to the commission by the county Board of Supervisors in January. And the county's rules governing events at wineries and the consistency of how they have been applied has been a part of the discussion at those meetings, he said. Because of that, the county's wine rules will be part of a separate discussion at Thursday's meeting, he said.

According to the county rules, marketing events can include weddings, concerts or anything else where wine is served. The events are designed to promote the winery, and the county approves permits that include a specific number of marketing events per year at any particular winery.

As the popularity of the county's wine industry has grown, so has the number of wineries and events to attract attention and customers. This has sometimes drawn opposition from nearby residents or farmers, particularly concerns about noise, traffic and the possibility of disruption to the county's other agricultural uses.

The tumult prompted the Board of Supervisors last year to propose a moratorium that would stop the addition of new events until the county could rewrite the ordinance covering wineries. Amid stiff opposition, the Planning Commission voted against a moratorium.

All sides of the issue agree that the county needs a new winery ordinance. And those new rules are set for a reboot when the county completes the years-long process of updating its General Plan. That is anticipated to happen early in 2014.

"We're going to rewrite it. It's just a matter of when," Community Development Director Kerry Sullivan said.

Thursday's meeting also has three applicants looking to expand or add marketing events.

La Vonne Vie Cellars Winery, south of Tracy, would add 22 events.

Watt's Winery in Lodi wouldn't increase the number of events, but it would increase the maximum number of people per event from 100 to 145. It would also allow the use of amplified music, both indoor and outdoor.

An applicant for a new winery west of Lodi on Davis Road and south of Highway 12 would open with 22 marketing events.

Staff recommends approval for all three under the current rules, though there is opposition or concern from some neighbors and the San Joaquin Farm Bureau Federation.